Identification bracelet



-July 7, |959 w. w. Moer-IER, JR., IEI'AL 2,893,143

" IDENTIFICATION BRACELET Enea March 12, 1957 M275@ WJMasf/Ee, Cl.,

v www@ DJENTIFICATIoN BRACELET Walter W. Mosher, Jr., Burbank, and Arthur R. G'oldammer, Glendale, Calif., assignors of 20.6 percent to Donald A. Long, Van Nuys, 20.6 percent to Stanley E. Charles, 2.8 percent to Joseph E. Long, 2.8 percent to Harold W. Neilly, and 12 percent to Arthur Knutson, all of California :Application March 12, 1957, Serial No. 645,637

4 Claims. (Cl. 40-21) Videntification bracelet which is characterized by the ease with which it can be attached about the wrist of an individual and which is so constructed that it cannot be readily removed from operative relationship with the wrist of said individual.

Another object of our invention is the provision of an identification bracelet of the aforementioned character which is of unitary construction and which is provided with a fastener engageable with a strap portion of the .bracelet in such a manner that the release of the fastener from the wrist strap portion by the individual Wearing the bracelet is almost impossible.

Of particular importance in hospitals and other large institutions where such identification bracelets are used is the fact that the bracelets must be readily and easily placed about the wrist of a child or other patient. Conventional devices of lthe character under consideration here entail the use of separate rivets or complicated tools and thus are not readily a'ixed about the fwrist ofthe person to be identified.

An additional object of our invention is the provision of an identification bracelet which does not entail the use f separate fastening means or tools to insert the same in loperative relationship with the bracelet but which can be readily placed about the wrist of the person to be identied without the necessity of the use of tools or separate fastening means.

A further object of our invention is the provision of an identication bracelet of the aforementioned character .which includes a unitary body formed from polyethylene plastic, or the like, whereby the inherent translucence of the plastic itself can be utilized in protecting, and yet permitting the viewing of, an identification tag mounted in operative relationship with the identification bracelet.

Another object of our invention is the provision of an identification bracelet which includes an elongated, unitary body which is divided into a tubular portion at one extremity and a strap portion at the other extremity, said tubular4 portion being adapted to receive an identiiication tag and a fastener and said strap portion being provided with a plurality of fastener receiving openings therein.

A further object of our invention is the provision, in an identification bracelet of the aforementioned character, of a fastener which is mounted Wholly Within the tubular portion of the identification bracelet so that, when one of United Safes Patent the openings in the strap portion of the body of the bracevICC let engages the fastener, it is not accessible and, therefore, the strap portion cannot be disengaged from operative relationship with the fastener. Y

In order to avoid the provision of a large number of different sizes of identitication bracelets, the bracelets of our invention are provided in a minimal number of sizes and it is intended that the strap portion thereof be cut to size. Since nurses and attendants in hospitals and other institutions of the character wherein an identification bracelet of the type under consideration here are used usually carry shears for cutting bandages and dressings, the necessity for cutting the end of the strap would not entail the provision of a special tool. However, it is admittedly a little difficult to size the bracelet about the wrist of the person to be identified, then remove the bracelet and cut the end of the strap to t.

A further object of our invention is the provision of an identification bracelet constituted by an elongated, integral body having a tubular portion at one extremity and a strap portion at vthe other extremity and wherein the tubular portion is provided with fastening means engageable with the strap and is also provided With a cutting opening in the wall thereof intermediate its extremities so that a fastener can be inserted in the open end of the tubular portion and then passed through the cutting opening whereby the strap can be easily adjusted to the wrist of the wearer of the bracelet and then the protruding extremity severed from the remainder of the strap,

In this manner, the axation of the identification bracelet and the proper sizing thereof to the wrist of the party to wear the same is accomplished with minimum effort and it is possible to more accurately size the bracelets than by the cumbersome iit and try method.

A further object of our invention is the provision of a Abracelet which is relatively economical to utilize and discard after it has been used and this desirable object is achieved by providing a novel method of manufacturing the bracelet from relatively low cost plastic material.

The manufacture of the identification bracelet of the invention involves the use of a preformed tubing fabricated from polyethylene plastic. Although in the specication we describe the bracelet as being formed from polyethylene plastics, it is, of course, not intended to limit the bracelet to such particular plastics since it is obvious that equivalent plastics may be utilized with equal efficiency.

The lpolyethylene tubing is roughly elliptical in cross section and the tubing is placed in a machine which will simultaneously sever the opposite edges of the tubing to bifurcate the same and thus provide two legs thereupon. Simultaneously with the severance of the opposite edges from the tubing, fastener receiving holes are formed in the legs. After this step has taken place, one of the legs is severed from operative relationship with the tubing.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawing which is for the purpose of illustration only and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an identification bracelet constructed in accordance with the teachings of our invention;

Fig. 2 shows the strap portion of the identification bracelet engaged in operative relationship with the fastener of the bracelet;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, top plan view of a portion of the identification bracelet;

Fig. 4 is a vertical, sectional view taken on the broken line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse, sectional view taken on the broken line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary view showing the operative relationship between the fastener and the strap of the identification bracelet;

Figs. 7a, 7b, and 7c are progressive steps showing the method of fabricating the identication bracelet of our invention;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing an alternative enbodiment of the identification bracelet of our invention;

Fig. 9 is a transverse, sectional view taken on the broken line 9 9 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Figs. 1-5 thereof, we show an identification bracelet 10 manufactured in accordance with the teachings of our invention and including an elongated body 12 formed from polyethylene plastic, or equivalent material. We have chosen polyethylene plastic as the material from which the identification bracelet 10 is fabricated because the transparency thereof is sufficient to permit an identification tag to be read with facility through the material.

The unitary body 12 of the bracelet 1t) is divided into a tubular portion 14 at one extremity of the body 12 and a strap portion 16 at the opposite extremity thereof, said strap portion being provided with aplurality of fastener receiving openings 18, for a purpose which will be described in greater detail below. The tubular portion 14 of the bracelet 10 is, as best shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing, substantially elliptical in cross section and is, as best shown in detail in Fig. 4 of the drawing, open at its opposite extremities. The tubular portion 14 is divided into an identification tag receiving chamber 20 and a fastener receiving chamber 22 and a lip 24 is provided at the entry to the identification tag receiving chamber 20 to facilitate the insertion of an identification tag 26 therein.

Located within the fastener receiving chamber 22 is fastening means constituted by a hook fastener 28, said hook fastener being maintained in operative relationship with the fastener receiving chamber 22 by means of a rivet 30 which extends transversely through the oppositely disposed portions of the wall of the tubular portion 14. it will be noted that, as best shown in Figs. 3-4 and 6 of the drawing, the hook fastener 2S is located entirely within the confines of the fastener receiving chamber 22 and that the inner wall of the chamber 22 is closely juxtaposed to the angularly directed leg 32 of the hook 28. Therefore, when the leg 32 of the hook fastener 2S engages in an opening 18 in the strap portion 16 of the bracelet 1i?, it cannot be readily released from operative relationship therewith because of the difiiculty in displacing said hook from its associated opening.

The rivet 30 serves the additional function of dividing the tubular portion 14 into the identification tag receiving chamber 20 and fastener receiving chamber 22 and the possibility of outward displacement of the identication tag 26 is eliminated.

The manner in which the identification tag 26 engages the translucent wall of the tubular portion 14 of the identification bracelet 10 is graphically illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawing and thus while the tag can be readily read through the tubular portion 14, it is protected from inadvertent displacement or destruction.

In installing the bracelet 10 upon the wrist of a person to be identified, the bracelet is wrapped about the wrist and the nearest opening 18 in the strap 16 laid over the hook fastener 28 which can be readily perceived through the wall of the fastener receiving chamber 22. The remainder of the strap portion 16 beyond the selected opening 18 is cut off and the end of the strap 16 is then inserted into the chamber 22 and into engagement with the hook fastener 28 in the manner shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing. =It is obvious that when the identification bracelet is secured to the wrist of an individual in the above described manner that the inaccessibility of the hook fastener and the free end of the strap 16 makes it practically impossible to disengage the strap 16, and more particu- 4 larly the opening 18 therein, from operative relationship with the hook fastener 28.

The method of fabricating the identification bracelet of the invention is shown in Figs. 7a-7c of the drawing wherein a length of polyethylene tubing is indicated at 34. The length of tubing is subjected to the shearing action of a die whereby, as illustrated in Fig. 7b, the opposite edges of the tubing are cut away to bifurcate the tubing and provide oppositely disposed furcations or legs 36. Simultaneously, fastener receiving holes 18 are formed in the legs 36. lt is to be noted that a slight radius is formed, as at 33. Subsequently, one of the legs 36 is severed.

The lip 24 is permitted to remain to facilitate the insertion of a tag in the tubular portion 14 of the bracelet. Subsequently, the rivet and fastener 28 are mounted in the tubular portion 14 and the bracelet 10 is ready for use.

A somewhat different type of identification bracelet is shown at 4@ in Figs. 8-10 of the drawing, said bracelet incorporating a modified tubular portion 42, but in all other respects being quite similar to the bracelet 10 described hereinabove. Among the distinctionsY between the bracelet 40 and the bracelet 1f) is the fact that the bracelet is formed from tubing of slightly different cross section than the tubing utilized in the fabrication of the bracelet 10.

As best illustrated in Fig. 9 of the drawing, the tubing utilized in fabricating the bracelet 40 is a modified ellipse being deformed at 44 in order to increase the fiexibility Vof the tubular portion 42 of the bracelet by reducing the rigidity of the tubular portion thereof.

Formed in the wall of the tubular portion 42 of the bracelet 40 and communicating with the interior of the fastener receiving chamber 22 is a cut-off opening 46 which greatly facilitates the securement and adjustment of the bracelet 4i) on the wrist of an individual. As best illustrated in Figs. 8 and l0 of the drawing, the bracelet 4i? is secured to the wrist of an individual by wrapping it around the wrist and inserting the free end of the strap portion 16 of the bracelet through the chamber 22 and out of the cut-off opening 46 to permit the free end of the strap portion 16 to project therebeyond.

Therefore, when the bracelet is tightened suiciently on the wrist of the individual and an opening 18 is properly registered with the hook fastener 28, in the manner shown in Fig. l0 of the drawing, the free end of the strap portion 16 can be severed and thus the dual tasks of sizing and securing the bracelet 40 are accomplished in a single action.

We thus provide by our invention an identification bracelet which is simple in construction but which can b e readily and easily sized and installed upon the wrist of an individual. Moreover, the bracelet is characterized by the fact that it cannot readily be removed from operative relationship with the wrist and there are no signification protrusions which might entail discomfort or abrasions upon the skin of the wearer of the bracelet.

In addition, the provision of separate tag and fastener receiving chambers prevents the dislodgement of the tag from operative relationship with the bracelet and the lip at the opening of the tag receiving chamber both facilitates the insertion of the tag into the chamber and the maintenance of the tag therein since the lip is closed against the adjacent strap portion of the bracelet when the bracelet is fastened about the wrist of an individual.

We claim:

l. In an identification bracelet, the combination of: an elongated body having a tubular portion at one end and a strap at the other end, said tubular portion being open at its opposite extremities and said strap having fastened engageable openings therein; fastener mounting means dividing said tubular portion into identification and fastener receiving sections; and a fastener located in said fastener receiving section by said fastener mounting means and engageable with said openings in said strap.

2. In an identification bracelet, the combination of: an elongated, unitary body incorporating a tube at one end and a strap at the other, said tube being open at its opposite ends and divided into identication and fastener receiving sections and having an opening in its wall intermediate said open ends communicating with said fastener receiving section; and a fastener in said fastener receiving section for engagement with a strap inserted through the open extremity of said last-named section and through said wall opening.

3. In an identification bracelet, the combination of: an elongated body having a tubular portion at one extremity thereof for the reception of identification data, said tubular portion being adapted to receive the opposite extremity of said body and said opposite extremity having fastener receiving openings therein, said tubular portion having an opening formed therein intermediate its ends for the passage of said opposite extremity therethrough after insertion in said tubular portion; and a fastener located wholly within said tubular portion for engagement in one of said fastener receiving openings.

4. In an identification bracelet, the combination of: an elongated body having a tubular portion at one extremity thereof for the reception of identification data, said tubular portion being adapted to receive the opposite extremity of said body and said opposite extremity having fastener receiving openings therein, said tubular portion having an opening formed therein intermediate its ends for the passage of said opposite extremity therethrough after insertion in said tubular portion; and a fastener located in said tubular portion for engagement in one of said fastener receiving openings.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,824,199 Donohue Sept. 22, 1931 2,641,074 Richmond June 9, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 426,132 Great Britain March 25, 1935 

